Method of autogenous welding, cutting, or soldering metals.



UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BERTHOLD HOFFMANN, 0F GRIESHEIM, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO CI IEMISCHE FABRIiK GRIESHEIM-ELEKTRON, OF FRANKFORT-ON-THEJVIAIN, GERMANY, A CORPORATION OF GERMANY.

METHOD OF AUTOGENOUS WELDING, CUTTING, 0R SOLDERING METALS.

No Drawing.

petroleum and spirits of wine, although they have the advantageof cheapness, present olifiiculties because they cannot be supplied to the burner nozzles homogeneously and regularly by atomization, or evaporation, and therefore they have not been found capable of general application for the aforesaid purposes. The gaseous fuels also present some disadvantages; for instance, the use of coalgas not only ofcourse necessitates its existonce at the place where it is to be used, but

also the sulfur and phosphorus present in the coal-gas render the metal brittle, and the heat of the flame of a jet of coal-gas and oxygen is insufficient for thick plates, or articles. The same objections as to local existence of the gas and the low heat derived from it likewise apply to water-gas. Although blaugas is not limited to production at, or conduction to, the place where it is to be used, because it can be liquefied and transported, its heating power is not suflicient for all cases, and an objection to the use of blaugas is that it is a mixture of hydro-carbons which can only produce a homogeneous vapor by means of devices Which render its manipulation very difficult, and in common with coal-gas and the liquid fuels, it has not found general application for the aforesaid purposes. Apart from water-gas which has only a local importance in large works, only acetylene and hydrogen have played an important part for the aforesaid purposes, al-

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented 0a. 4, 1910.

Application filed May 18, 1910. Serial No. 562,013.

advantages. For instance, acetylene, in the form known as dissolvedacetylene has disagreeable and dangerous qualities, such as its bad odor, and its poisonous and explosive properties. Welds made with the acetylene flame are often brittle, because the metal can absorb carbon from acetylene. Hydrogen is free from these disadvantages, but the heating power of the flame of a jet of oxygen and hydrogen is too small for thick plates, or articles, and, moreover, hydrogen cannot be obtained in a liquefied state, but only compressed so that its amount of calories is small and its transport comparatively costly. A fuel satisfactory in all respects for the aforesaidpurposes has not been hitherto known.

I have found that ethane combines the advantages of acetylene with those of hydrogen, without possessing the inconveniences of either or any of the other fuels hitherto used. The welds obtained with the flame of a jet of ethane and oxygen, meet all requirements. Separation of carbon does not take place and, as ethane is easily obtained pure, there is no danger of there being sulfur and phosphorus therein. Ethane is quite safe being neither poisonous, nor explosive, and it has not the unpleasant odor of acetylene The heating power of the flame of a jet of ethane and oxygen is also a little greater than that of an oXy-acetylene jet. Ethane can be liquefied directly, or condensed in solvents, or in absorbing agents. The content of calories of a steel receptacle filled with ethane is in relation to that of a steel receptacle filled under the same conditions with dissolved acetylene as 1 is to 0.77. Ethane vaporizes quite uniformly out of its container and only requires a reducing valve and no troublesome devices such as are required in using blaugas for conducting it to the burner in theamount, and with thethe cutting, and soldering, of metals by simple as it can be done by combining acetylene and hydrogen according to the follow ing equation:

I Claim: a

The herein described method of autogenous Welding, etc.,-whi ch consists in snp- Witnesses:

plying the bnrnel with ethane as the prin- 10 cipal combustion agent;

In testimony whereof I' have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two snbscribi witnesses.

B iL RTHOLD HOFFMANN.

FRANZHASSLACHER, ERWIN DIPPEL. a 

